[:ro]Athens[:]
When the end of the winter is near or when the spring isn’t coming fast enough, almost everyone wants to feel the warmth of the sun on their skin. In moments like this, if you do not have the patience, you can choose to escape into a more friendly city in terms of weather.
If you love the very busy destinations and where the heat will leave you breathless and without energy then you should visit Athens during summer.
We feel that we can appreciate better the beauty of a place, city, country when we don’t stand in endless queues or crowded tourist areas. That’s why we recommend Athens as a more suitable destination for the off-season.
A few weeks ago, we decided we needed another holiday, no matter how short (City Break). So we booked the cheapest flight tickets we found for the end of March.
What surprised us, though it may seem strange, is how it smells the city. We haven’t found any information anywhere, nor did we hear anyone talking about it. Most likely, it is because it is spring and trees are blooming everywhere. Their sweet smell will win you.
One more thing we did not expect is that besides the trees full of pink flowers, on each street there were orange trees with fruits in them.
We couldn’t visit Athens without visiting the Acropolis, the most famous ancient Greek quote. It lies above Athena, on a stony hill and contains many ancient structures, of which the most famous is the Parthenon. Entrance for adults is 20 euros, and for students 10 euros, we don’t know why we paid that day just 10 euros each, but we did not complain.
The rest of the places we visited were free of charge and we also chose not to pay for the entry to Roman Agora and Olympieion because they could see very well from outside. At the foot of the Acropolis is Plaka district, which is very touristy, full of terraces and bars where you can recharge your batteries.
The neighborhood that delighted us the most is Anafiotika. It is a small area At the foot of the Acropolis, which makes you feel like you are on a Greek island, small and white buildings, blue doors and shutters, narrow streets, Perfecttt…
If you like the architecture of ancient Greece then you have to take a stroll outside Panepistimio Metro Station. Here are two university buildings and a library showing the familiar elements of the same architectural style: large sculptures, imposing columns.
Change of guards that is happening in front of the Hellenic Parliament at the Monument of the Unknown Soldier (Syntagma Square). It’s a real tourist attraction. The tomb is guarded 24/24 by guards, changing every hour through a ritual that takes place in slow motion. This ceremonial change offers you the opportunity to admire the official uniform of these guards (Evezone).
Just a few minutes away is the National Garden of Athens. An impressive park that was formerly administered entirely by the first Queen of Greece, Amalia. Here you will find palm trees, orange trees, a small zoo and dozens of parrots in freedom.
We booked the accommodation from Booking. We put in balance the price, location, room look, and the winner was Hotel Pergamos. It is a 30-minute walk to the Acropolis from the hotel, and for us, it was perfect because we could admire more of the city on our way to the main attractions.
The size, appearance and what the room gave us was enough for the two nights we spent there. We were lucky to have a room on the top floor and we had a nice view of the area behind the hotel. The only minus of the room was the tiny bathroom, but it fulfilled its purpose.
Included in the price of the accommodation was the breakfast. The good part was that we were leaving the hotel already with a full stomach and could attack the streets of Athens without worrying. But it was not very diversified or the best quality, and we do not think we would eat it again if we spent 3 nights instead of 2.
We took full advantage of our time here to taste as much as we can from what Greek cuisine has to offer. We tasted these goodies at every meal, except for breakfast, and we can say that they are really tasty, full of flavor.
In the first evening we relied on TripAdvisor and we arrived at a restaurant traditional, Atableamos Mezedopoleio, from where we left very excited because besides the three dishes we ordered (feta cheese, soup with beans and a plate of meat with potatoes and pita), we received a dessert and a traditional drink on the house.
The next day we ate near Acropolis, lunch (Greek salad, tzatziki, calamari, fried cheese, and Greek beer, Mythos), Greek yogurt and Greek coffee from a rooftop overlooking directly to the Acropolis. That evening we ate the famous gyros and probably too many Greek baklavas.
On our last day in Athens, we tried souvlaki with pita, which we think we liked a bit more than the gyros, a spinach pie, and Greek coffee again.
These were the amounts we spent in our city break in Athens. If it is too much or too little depends on each person. We could have lower expenses in terms of transportation and food, but at the same time, they could have been bigger. In the end, we were pleased.
| Costs (euro) | Details | |
| Transport | 40 | transportation Airport – Athens – Airport |
| Plane tickets | 115 | |
| Accommodation | 54 | 2 nights accommodation + Breakfast |
| Tourist spots | 20 | Acropolis of Athens |
| Food / Day 1 | 26 | |
| / Day 2 | 64 | |
| / Day 3 | 20 | |
| souvenirs | 20 | |
| Total | ~360 | For 2 persons |
Athens, Greece – March 20-22
Day 1
| 1 ½-2 h | Flight Bucharest – Athens |
| 1h 10 mins | Arrived in Athens by train from the airport |
| Accommodation – Hotel Pergamor | |
| Dinner – Restaurant Atitamos Mezedopoleio | |
| Short visit to H & M |
Day 2
| 9:00 | Left the hotel |
| 20 mins | Walked through the city to Monastiraki |
| Admired Adrian’s Library, Roman Agora, and walked the streets of Plaka | |
| Discovered the little Anafiotika neighborhood | |
| 2 h | Acropolis of Athens |
| 1 ½-2 h | Lunch + dessert (yoghurt) |
| Seeking souvenirs | |
| The Arch of Hadrian and the Temple of Zeus Olympieion | |
| Admired architecture near Panepistimio Metro Station: two university buildings and a library | |
| 17:00 | Go back to the hotel for a short break |
| Rooftop bar overlooking the Acropolis | |
| Dinner |
Day 3
| 9:30 | Left the hotel |
| Ora 10 | Changing guards from the TMonument of the Unknown Soldier |
| 1-2 h | The National Garden in Athens |
| Lunch | |
| 40 mins – 1 h | Metro to the Airport |
| 1 ½-2 h | Flight Athens – Bucharest |
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